


every color, every hue is represented by me and you

by painttheworldinpastels



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Color Blindness, Colors, Fluff, Imagery, M/M, renhyuck, to all the people who know where this title is from: i am so sorry but it seemed fitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-01-06 06:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18383210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/painttheworldinpastels/pseuds/painttheworldinpastels
Summary: Colors whirl around Renjun's head.





	1. orange

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dayseyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayseyes/gifts).



If you had to match colors to a person's personality, Renjun would be blue. The color of confidence, of intelligence, of trust. He is calm and stable, able to both lead and follow, efficient but knows not to rush. Balanced.

Renjun likes colors. From a young age, he has always been one to be fascinated by pretty things, and colors are pretty. Colors are what makes things beautiful, he believes. Colors give things meaning.

He likes playing with colors. Mixing shades that blend well together and form harmonies, or shades that contrast each other and make each color stand out all the more. He knows black and white aren't colors, but that doesn't matter to Renjun. They're what all the other colors are based off on. They're just as, if not more, important than rainbows. Renjun doesn't like leaving them out, so sometimes he paints in monochrome. The black and white artworks are just as beautiful as the multicolored ones, more somber but alluring nonetheless.

You can use colors to describe many things. You can use them to describe people, objects, the atmosphere, and even the way you feel.

Today is green. He's in his room, sitting on his bed with his iPad on his lap. With his favorite blanket pooled around his shoulders and his pillows propped up all around him, Renjun feels safe. Tranquil. At peace.

Until Donghyuck barges in.

Donghyuck opens the door so suddenly that Renjun's hand jerks and the picture he's drawing acquires a short squiggle. Renjun is not amused, but his drawing application has an erase function so he should be able to fix it.

Donghyuck plops himself on Renjun's bed, taking one of his pillows and squishing it in his arms. If Renjun wasn't so annoyed, he would have thought the sight looks cute.

"What'cha doin'?" Donghyuck asks despite the fact that Renjun's iPad is open to a drawing app and he has an Apple pencil in his hand, his work in full display. It's almost finished; Renjun was polishing it when Hyuck had entered. It's a portrait of a sky in pinks and blues and purples and yellows, pastel shades that could be a sunrise or sunset, it doesn't matter. What matters are the seven stars that dot it. Some stars are bigger, some are smaller, some have more shine to it while some are just specks, but when they're connected with imaginary lines they form Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper. It's extremely colorful, and Renjun is pleased with it.

Renjun knows what Hyuck is here for. He tells Hyuck to wait until the image is presentable again (Donghyuck shoots Renjun an apologetic pout when he shows him the anomaly made by not bothering to knock) and Hyuck does. He waits until Renjun has signed the piece, waits until Renjun has saved it, and waits for Renjun himself to surrender the iPad to him before taking it. Renjun stands to get a bottle of water and leaves Hyuck on his bed, tapping away on his iPad. This time, he admits that Donghyuck looks adorable.

When he comes back with two water bottles, he sees that Donghyuck has taken the position he was in before - sitting in the middle of the bed with Renjun's blanket draped over him. Renjun crawls over the pile of pillows still intact around the area and takes a part of the blanket, enough to cover himself while still covering Donghyuck. Hyuck doesn't move, too focused on his drawing. For now it's nothing more than a couple of lines and Renjun can't tell what it is, but he gives Hyuck the benefit of a doubt.

Renjun leans against Donghyuck. The atmosphere is so serene and Hyuck's presence is so comforting and Hyuck smells so nice, like flowers during springtime, so he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

 

He wakes up to darkness. Donghyuck's chin is placed on top of his head, and he's snoring softly. They're still sitting up, and Renjun wonders how they were able to fall asleep for such a long time in such an uncomfortable position. 

Renjun's iPad is wedged in between Donghyuck's hands, and Renjun gently pries it away to look at what Hyuck had done. Once he opens it he sees a storefront, with the words _Haechan's Shop_ written on both sides of the front door. The colors Donghyuck had used were quite basic, just red and blue, and Renjun can't help but think that Hyuck should have used brighter colors like yellow or orange, colors which embody the words "Haechan" (full sun).

But there's so much effort and dedication in this image. Donghyuck had painstakingly drawn an brick wall, which is impressive in itself, and he also added in a road, which was a very nice touch. It feels homey and intimate, like something familiar.

"What do you think?" Donghyuck's voice is raspy, having just woken up. It startles Renjun and he drops the iPad on the bed. Hyuck is staring at him, waiting for his verdict.

He doesn't beat around the bush. "There's a lot of colors available here but you went for the primary ones?"

"They were the first colors I saw." 

"And really, having 'Haechan's Shop' written on the wall, and multiple times at that, is graffiti. You couldn't have put a sign above the door instead?"

"A declaration! If people can easily see that it's my shop, then they'll want to enter immediately."

Renjun rolls his eyes, but there's no animosity in the gesture. His iPad is back in Hyuck's hands, and he's tapping his fingers nervously on it. Renjun scrambles for something to say that would assure the younger that he'd done well, but what comes out of his mouth is a question instead of praise. "Why'd you draw that, though?"

"Johnny asked us what kind of building we'd put up of we had the chance and I told him I'd establish a shop. You know, so people can come in and get love and affection and hugs and kisses and be energized. Oh, and also to make money." Hyuck smiles fondly, tracing the words _Haechan's Shop_. "Mark couldn't imagine what it would look like so I drew it so I could show him. Though it doesn't look as nice as it was in my head."

"No one would pay you for a hug."

"That's true, I'd give them away for free! You get extra benefits like cuddles if you're a regular."

They're silent for a moment. "It's a great depiction though," Renjun says quietly after a while. "There's a lot of heart into it."

Hyuck snorts. "A lot of heart but not a lot of art."

Renjun shakes his head violently. "I mean it, Hyuckie. It's very lovely. Artistic. You drew it well, and if anyone tries to insult it tell them to take it up with me."

Renjun doesn't know when but sometime during their conversation Donghyuck had snaked an arm around his waist, and Donghyuck nuzzles his face into the crook of Renjun's neck and shoulder. His eyes are peering at Renjun, his gaze intense. Donghyuck looks pretty like this, Renjun thinks, his eyes framed by long eyelashes, his hair a fluffy mess on top of his head. Donghyuck looks like art.

The room turns from green to orange, and Renjun can't help but wonder how there's so much enthusiasm in one boy. This fascinating boy who was so determined to visualize for others what he could for himself. A boy who cheers for others, who stimulates them to be the best they can be. A boy who always encourages people, believing they'll succeed. Always trying to think those things for himself but sometimes failing.

Truly fascinating.

Renjun picks up the Apple pencil and hands it to Donghyuck. "Sign it, and then I'll send to you so you can send it to Mark. Or would you rather I send it to him?"

"I'll send it," Donghyuck scribbles his signature in quickly, saving it before handing both the pencil and the iPad back to Renjun. "And then you can delete it after."

"There will be no deleting."

"But it's so bad compared to your stuff," Hyuck whines. Renjun pats his head gently before threading his fingers in Hyuck's hair. Hyuck pushes his face closer to Renjun's neck and Renjun sees red.

"It's wonderful," Renjun tells Donghyuck. He makes sure to say it in a firm voice, in a tone that screams black, a tone that screams seriousness and authority. A tone that make Donghyuck believe it.

Donghyuck doesn't say anything, but he feels a smile illuminate his face from where it's buried in his neck, and the orange mixes with yellow. The color is radiant, just like the boy with him right now.

Eventually Donghyuck gets up to leave. Renjun stays put on his bed, in the exact same position, already missing Hyuck's presence even though he hasn't left the room yet. And when Donghyuck has his hand on the doorknob, Renjun decides to add another splash of yellow.

"Just for the record, you don't have to do anything extra to make people happy. All you have to do is smile." _At least, that's all you have to do to make me happy_.


	2. violet

Renjun is talented. He knows this, and everyone around him knows this because they keep telling him so. He can sing, he can dance, he can cook, he can draw. There's lots of things he can do, though there's also lots of things that he can't. He's been made to accept endless praise and the occasional criticisms. Most of it are appreciated, but Renjun doesn't like hearing things like "I wish I was as talented as you," or "I'm nothing compared to you." He doesn't like hearing compliments that degrade others, whether they're doing it jokingly or not. It makes him feel bad, and it adds pressure because certainly he's not the best but he's being held to such standards. It covers him in grey, the feeling unsettling. 

As for the criticisms, he has learned to both listen to and ignore them. Renjun is open to learning new things and being advised, but if someone tells him that he's too old for Moomin one more time he will not hesitate to throw a pencil in the person's direction.

The worst criticism he's gotten was when someone told him his Moomin drawing looked like a fat, badly-drawn cow. He remembers crying his eyes and his heart out, completely shattered by the thought that he had desecrated his favorite character. He was five.

Everyone is talented at different things, but Renjun has long since discovered that Donghyuck is very talented at a multitude of things. His imagination knows no bounds, and though there is a limit to Donghyuck's skills there is no limit to his resolve. Donghyuck is clever, and he's very resourceful. Renjun admires Donghyuck for many reasons, but Donghyuck's sense of innovation demands everyone's respect.

Today's color is violet. Creativity flows in every direction, from the paintbrush in Renjun's hand to the tip of the Apple pencil that Donghyuck is holding. Renjun's using his finest brush to bring a small fairy to life, an intricate, dark little thing surrounded by a bright yellow glow. It's holding hands with a lady surrounded by a dark aura. There's symbolism in it but truthfully Renjun hasn't come up with the full story yet; all he knows is that the lady and the fairy are friends. He doesn't know if this is supposed to be a somber parting or a gleeful reunion; all he knows is that at this time, they are together, and they're grateful for it.

Donghyuck is sitting next to him at the kitchen table, humming a happy tune. Renjun looks over to see different colors on his iPad screen, and that alone satisfies him. He lets his eyes travel from the iPad to the hand Donghyuck isn't using to draw which was rapping on the table, creating a tune similar to the one he's humming, to Donghyuck's mouth curved in a slight pout (as always), to Donghyuck's eyes which are keenly focused on the work in front of him, to Donghyuck's hair which could use a bit of a trim and is falling over his eyes. Donghyuck isn't bothering to push it away, so Renjun does it for him.

He leans over to gently push the strands away. He does so a few times but Donghyuck's bangs won't stay put and keep going back to their original position, sprawled over Hyuck's forehead. Renjun lets out a huff and doesn't notice that Hyuck has stilled, his fingers no longer churning out a beat, his eyes large and centered on Renjun.

"You need to get your hair cut," Renjun mutters as he removes one of the bobby pins holding his own hair in place and slips it into Donghyuck's. He digs it a bit into Hyuck's scalp and Donghyuck smacks his hand away but Renjun threatens to bury it deeper, so Donghyuck behaves.

Renjun uses at least three pins to secure Hyuck's hair, and wisps of his own hair fill his vision. After he's done fixing Donghyuck's hair, he removes the pins from his own and tries to rearrange them so his hair would hold with less bobby pins. He's concentrated on shoving the pins every which way but now he is aware of Donghyuck's gaze, which hasn't left him since he decided to play hairdresser.

Renjun eventually manages and turns to Donghyuck, who immediately turns back to his work, pretending that he hasn't been staring at Renjun. Renjun lets it slide.

It's high noon. Sunlight enters the window, casting its rays on every surface. It's sweltering outside, but a cool breeze filters in every now and then courtesy of both the open window and a large electric fan set to its highest setting. There's a half-finished pitcher of apple juice and two glasses filled with juice and melting ice on the table, for when they get thirsty. Renjun and Donghyuck stay seated at the kitchen table, not talking but still communicating with each other by soft taps on the shoulder to silently ask if the other wanted a refill, and through gentle gazes assuring the other that their artwork is coming along well.

Donghyuck finishes first. He puts Renjun's Apple pencil down with a light smack (which Renjun berates him for because that thing is _expensive_ ) and leans his chair a little too far backwards, causing it to wobble. Renjun steadies it before Hyuck topples over and Hyuck rewards him with a dazzling grin that rivals the sun. It's stunning, and it stuns Renjun momentarily until he snaps out of it and hits Donghyuck's arm, telling him to he more careful.

Hyuck ignores him and shows off the work with a flourish. "Ta-da!"

Renjun puts his brush down and examines Hyuck's drawing. It's merely a bunch of different colored irregularly shaped circles, but Hyuck is beaming so proudly and Renjun feels pride arise in his chest as well.

"It's very...eccentric," Renjun says, smiling widely.

"It's abstract! Like Picasso." Donghyuck points to the circles at the forefront of the artwork. "Since you're always telling me about how black and white aren't really colors, I made them stand out here! The black circle represents the darkness of human nature and the white circle is the good part of humanity, but I made it a bit smaller than the black one to symbolize that we often let the bad overtake the good."

A corner of Renjun's mouth lifts up in a sly smile. "Wow, you already have a deep meaning ready for it. Truly an artist."

"A visionary," Hyuck announces. "Also, I've been doing research on that whole black-white color thing and apparently if you describe colors as like, the way the human eye processes light and/or the lack of it, then technically black and white are colors. But yeah, in general if we're going by how colors are described in science - you know, the light waves crap - then they're not considered colors."

"Interesting," Renjun nods, even though he already knows these things. Of course he's done his own research, but it's nice to hear Hyuck talking to him about it and that he's attempting to learn more about it. It's nice to hear Hyuck talking in general, no matter how many times he complains about Hyuck's voice out loud. Hyuck's voice isn't just one color, it's blue and green and yellow and orange and red all at once. Hyuck's voice is colorful, and Renjun loves it.

"Anyway, what do all the other colors mean?"

Hyuck shrugs. "I don't know, they looked nice. Let the art teachers fabricate their significance when it's displayed in one of those fancy art museums or something."

"How are you going to explain it when I invite you over for an artist talk once I put up my museum then?"

Donghyuck looks surprised. "You'd put something like this in an art museum?"

"You were just talking about it a minute ago."

"I was joking," Donghyuck frowns, and it's such a foreign look on the usually shining boy that Renjun wants it to disappear immediately. Hyuck gestures to Renjun's unfinished work. "I mean, compared to your watercolor fairy princess painting, it's kind of...stupid."

"Hey," Renjun takes one of Hyuck's hands and caresses it slightly, his thumb running over Hyuck's knuckles. "It's really good. There's lots of kinds of art and abstract is perfectly valid, don't compare your work to others, okay? It's really, really good, one of the best abstracts I've ever seen! Outsold Picasso and Pollock! I don't really see myself creating something like this on my own accord but it's so breathtaking, mind-blowing, incredible-"

"Okay, that's enough lies from you," Donghyuck pulls his hand away but there's a shy smile on his face so Renjun considers it a win. "What does your painting mean though? Any deep symbolisms from the true artist?"

"You're a true artist too!"

"Whatever, just tell me why that fairy's glow is brighter than Tinkerbell's."

"Honestly? I don't know yet. Usually I just paint things that I think would look nice and I leave the interpretation up to the viewer."

"How are you gonna explain it for your artist talk when it's in your museum?" Hyuck repeats Renjun's question from earlier, eyes full of mirth.

"Mystery is quite powerful, Hyuckie. Oh, and you forgot to sign it again," Renjun gingerly picks up the Apple pencil and hands it to Donghyuck.

"Do I have to?" Hyuck whines but he signs it anyway, his signature small and tucked in the farthest corner. 

"Erase that," Renjun takes the iPad and undoes it. "Make your signature bigger."

"Ugh, whyyyy."

"How are people gonna know who made it if your signature is so hard to see? The museum people will wonder."

"You're serious about that? You'd put this in a museum?"

"I would. I really would." _Your art deserves to be in all the museums. You yourself deserve to be in all the museums._

Renjun sees a blush creep along Hyuck's cheeks but chooses not to comment on it. "Don't museums have those plaque things? I don't need to sign this."

"Sign it or I won't let you borrow my iPad ever again."

"But your iPad has all the paid premium stuff," Hyuck pouts.

"Not my fault you're a cheapskate. Now sign."

Donghyuck rolls his eyes and signs it, his signature in black ink easily noticeable against the sea of colors. "There," Hyuck makes sure not to slam the Apple pen down on the table again. "You happy now?"

"Very. Now go bother Jeno or something."

"Don't you want me to stay with you?" Hyuck's pout comes back in full force, and Renjun is suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to either peck it or pour the apple juice over him to make it go away. He decides that neither are good options.

"You're too distracting" is what Renjun comes up with, and though Donghyuck is still pouting he gets up to go. Before he does, he cleans his empty glass in the sink and wipes the table down, and Renjun sees pink, the appreciation kind of pink. Gratitude, he thinks to himself.

When Renjun finishes his painting (the background more vivid now; the lady and the fairy are now standing under a tree with hefty leaves in vivid green, the sunlight contrasting the lady's dark aura), he opens his iPad to look at the image Donghyuck has drawn. He finds fulfillment in every line and in every hue; it truly is a masterpiece, simply made but with complex meaning (if Donghyuck actually did mean his explanation), and it's so damn colorful that it makes Renjun's heart sing with happiness. Bright yellow surrounds him, but the pink he felt earlier remains. 

Perhaps pride for how far Donghyuck's art has come wasn't the only thing blooming in his chest.


	3. indigo

Renjun finds out on a day colored indigo; the color of perception, of concentration, of sincerity. A deep midnight blue, the same color of the sky he and Donghyuck are under at the moment.

They're lying on their stomachs on an old picnic blanket under a large tree in Renjun's backyard, surrounded by dewy grass and the cold night air. Donghyuck's head is positioned too close to Renjun's sketchbook that's set in front of him, and he's furiously moving a colored pencil back and forth over the sheet. Renjun has his iPad out and he's busy perfecting his sketch of an eye - Donghyuck's eye to be exact, but he'd never admit that to anyone.

It's dusk; the sun set low in the horizon, the sunset palette replaced with blues and purples, the sky speckled with stars. The moon is nowhere to be found, but the last remnants of sunlight, the glittering gems in the sky, and the glow of the fluorescent bulb on Renjun's porch illuminates their cozy part of the world just enough.

There are colored pencils arranged haphazardly in a plastic tub next to Donghyuck. It's an assortment of colors and sizes and brands that Renjun had accumulated over the years, and it's one of Renjun's multiple prides and joys. (Some of his other prized possessions include his acrylic paint collection which currently has fifty-eight tubes and his 152-pieces Crayola crayon pack.) Donghyuck loves using the colored pencils but he always complains about how exhausting it is to haul the heavy tub out of Renjun's art supplies closet every time he wants to use them so it's usually Renjun who ends up lugging it around. Donghyuck also complains about how there are so many pencils that are of similar shades that it's hard to pick just one to use. Honestly, if it were any other person complaining about all these things Renjun would just straight up deny access to the colored pencils but this was Donghyuck, and he's always found it hard to refuse Donghyuck, unfortunately.

He occasionally peeks over at Donghyuck to see if he's gotten his drawing correct. Hyuck is too busy to notice, one hand stuck inside the tub of colored pencils while the other hand colors in the sketch of Renjun's backyard that Hyuck had drawn earlier. It's not anything mind-blowing but it's a decent depiction, and Renjun is touched by the thought that Hyuck had thought something of his was worth drawing. (Though the yard isn't really his, he exercises possession by being the offspring of the owners, doesn't he?)

Renjun is careful with every stroke he makes onto his own drawing. He makes sure each detail is precise, trying to capture H̶y̶u̶c̶k̶'̶s̶ the beauty. He even pays special attention to the pretty lashes fanning the eye, and he makes sure every point of the image is as stunning as the real thing.

Renjun finishes his drawing quicker than he expects to, and though he fully intends to color it in to make the features pop he leaves it as a monochrome sketch, signing and saving it promptly. He sits up and adjusts the headband holding tendrils of his flyaway hair at bay. Hyuck is still sprawled on the ground, and Renjun leans over to tuck the little strands of Donghyuck's hair that had escaped the headband Renjun had forced Hyuck to wear earlier back into place. Donghyuck doesn't pay Renjun any mind, still too focused on his work.

Hyuck's hair has grown considerably since the last time Renjun had payed attention to it, and he finds himself lost in the sheer volume of it. He runs his fingers daintily over the surface and it's so fluffy that Renjun's fingers eventually find purchase in it, combing through the soft strands. Hyuck leans into his touch but doesn't let his gaze stray from what he's doing. It's cute, Renjun thinks. _He's cute_.

Renjun peeks to look at Hyuck's progress. Hyuck's already colored the house in, and now he's working on the yard; he's focused on bringing color to the leaves of the tree Renjun and Donghyuck are currently under. Renjun sees two small figures underneath the tree, huddled together on a rectangle that Renjun supposes is a blanket - the ratty blanket they're using right now. Renjun's heart melts and he feels pink surround him again, something that has been happening more and more lately whenever he's with Donghyuck. It's quite unnerving, to be honest, but he's not exactly opposed to the feeling. It makes him feel warm, and it's particularly chilly at the moment so he appreciates it.

Renjun's mind is busy listing down all the possible meanings of the color pink when Hyuck lets out a short sneeze. It makes Renjun snap back into attention, and he sees Hyuck rubbing his nose on his jacket sleeve. It's supposed to be disgusting but all Renjun feels is endearment because Hyuck looks so _small_ and _fluffy_ and _cuddly_ and Renjun just wants to hug him. While snot is dripping down Hyuck's nose. Fun.

Instead of hugging him, Renjun removes his hand from Hyuck's hair and asks Hyuck if he wants to go back inside. Donghyuck answers him with, "Later, let me just finish this," and he dives back into the colored pencil bin, pulling out a light brown pencil.

Donghyuck's hand moves towards the tree he'd drawn but instead of coloring the trunk like Renjun thought, Hyuck delicately colors in the leaves of the tree. Renjun looks up. The tree leaves maintain a vibrant green color, even in the darkness of nightfall.

"Huh. Is it an autumn motif?"

Donghyuck stops what he's doing and he blinks rapidly, brought out of his daze. He tilts his head slightly, looking up at Renjun with wide eyes. Renjun barely manages to hold back the urge to pet his head.

"What do you mean?" Hyuck asks.

"You know, since the tree leaves are brown."

"Brown?" Donghyuck glances down at the colored pencil clutched in his hand. It's a light shade, the color of milk chocolate. Renjun recalls that he has at least two of that exact same shade in the colored pencils tub.

Donghyuck stares at it for a long time. He turns it over once, twice. And then he sets it back down. He sits up and eyes the tub of colored pencils, his gaze blank.

"Oh." That's all Donghyuck says, and Renjun is a bit alarmed.

"I'm sorry if that wasn't what you were going for! I just thought since you were coloring the leaves brown you were going for a fall scene, I didn't mean to offend you, it looks amazing-"

Donghyuck shakes his head rapidly and smiles at Renjun, but it's not his normal, bright yellow smile. It's a bit dimmer, a pale yellow. Renjun doesn't like it; it feels like a cloudy day, with the sun hidden behind the clouds - still there, but not quite.

Donghyuck clears his throat. He doesn't look at Renjun, opting to stare at the colored pencils tub for as long as he can get away with. "Uhm, I mix up colors sometimes. I have trouble identifying some of them."

Nothing comes after. Renjun sees a greyish-blue drift around them, but he won't let it envelope them. He refuses to let it.

Renjun breaks the silence with a dash of violet, a dash of understanding. "All colors?"

Hyuck smiles again, and it's less dim. Brighter. More sincere. A combination of melancholic blue and dignified purple. A smile wanting Renjun not to feel pity, but to comprehend. A smile drenched indigo.

"Just reds and greens, mostly. Everything else is fine."

Renjun points up at the tree. "What color are those?" His finger is directed at the canopy of leaves above them.

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. "I know those are green, idiot." Renjun gets in a smack before Hyuck continues. "I just get confused with some colors, that's all. I thought this was green," Hyuck says, flicking the brown pencil away from him. It rolls away from Donghyuck and settles near Renjun's hand.

Renjun picks it up gingerly. Brown is the color of friendliness, Renjun remembers. The color of comfort, the color of the soil under the blanket they're sitting on. The color of nurture.

"There's nothing wrong with that. Next time, tell me if you're a bit wary of a color, yeah?"

Hyuck frowns. "...you're not...?"

"Not what?"

Donghyuck stares at Renjun again, and though it doesn't seem like the right time to do so, Renjun compares Hyuck's eyes to his depiction of them. He's a bit disappointed when he realizes that no one can immortalize how alluring Donghyuck's features are.

Doesn't mean he won't try, though.

Donghyuck's eyes hold so many emotions as they fix themselves onto Renjun. "You like colors."

Renjun only nods, waiting for Hyuck to say more.

"I don't know, I just thought...you wouldn't like it? It's not like severely limited, like literally all I have difficulty with are reds and greens and you know how you can get the color brown by mixing red and green? Anyway, I thought you'd be...mad?" Donghyuck's forehead forms wrinkles and Renjun's fingers twitch, wanting to smoothen them out. "No, wait, I thought you'd be disappointed. That's it." Hyuck is back to not looking at him, but this time he's looking down at his drawing, running a finger over the area of the tree he'd already colored in. Donghyuck looks at the brown leaves like they're offensive, rubbing his finger against it. There's so much sincerity in Donghyuck's words, as if he actually believed that Renjun would condemn him for something he couldn't control, and it hurts Renjun.

So he hurts Donghyuck back by hitting his fluffy hair with the brown pencil. He brings it down on Hyuck's head harshly, and though it's just a thin piece of wood, Hyuck rubs the top of his head out of pain, lips pursed in distaste. Hyuck attempts to steal the pencil away but he fails to do so, so Hyuck takes the next best thing - the Apple pencil next to Renjun's iPad. When Renjun's eyes narrow, however, Hyuck puts it immediately back down and pouts some more.

Renjun releases a large exhale. "I'm not mad, what the hell."

"But you hit me!"

"Because you're being stupid. Did it hurt?"

Hyuck's pout intensifies. "A little bit."

"How sad."

Donghyuck bristles and Renjun pats his head in an attempt to calm him down, but Hyuck looks at him like he wants to stab him with all of the colored pencils Hyuck has at his disposal (which is a lot - Renjun's never counted how many colored pencils were in the plastic tub but the tub is 3/4ths filled, and it's a sizeable container) so Renjun hurries to resume talking.

"Really, I don't mind. And I'm most certainly not disappointed. I just wish I'd known earlier."

"Really?"

"Really." Renjun reaches out to adjust Hyuck's headband again. "Tell me if you're having trouble, okay? I'm always willing to help, whatever it is."

Donghyuck lets out a sharp exhale, and a crooked smile dawns on his face. The smile doesn't have the golden glow he's used to, but it's getting there, and for now that's enough.

"Well then, get me some green pencils."

"How many?" Renjun stretches his hand inside the tub.

"A lot. Different shades. I'm gonna make this the most beautiful backyard you've ever seen."

Renjun rolls his eyes but obeys Donghyuck's request anyway. He sets the pencils down next to the sketchbook, along with the brown colored pencil from earlier. Renjun sinks back down to the floor and opens his iPad, immediately starting on another illustration. It's a portrait of a starry sky, much like the one they're under right now. Renjun makes it look like a blanket of interwoven blues and purple with white specks dotting every inch of it - some big, some small, some isolated, some clustered together. Renjun allows the stars to steal the show, putting them at the forefront of the scene, hundreds of them scattered over the horizon. 

While mixing the gradients for the sky's base, Renjun gaze briefly settles on Donghyuck. He's aggressively dragging a dark green pencil at a tilted angle to color the grass, and Hyuck's tongue peeks from his mouth slightly. Renjun sees pink drift into the scene, and then it hits him.

Being with Donghyuck is pink, Renjun realizes. Right in the middle of red and white, of passion and purity. Being with Donghyuck gives him a sense of harmony. A sense of tenderness. Affection, deeper than the friendly kind.

And just like before, Renjun still isn't opposed to it.

It's a lot to take in, so Renjun doesn't. At least, not now, not when he's busy making something, bringing his imagination to life. He'll deal with it in full some other time.

Nevertheless, Renjun adds a hint of pink to the skyline he's painting. It looks pretty. _Like Donghyuck_ , he thinks.

Renjun mulls over the portrait for a bit, and ultimately he decides to draw a tree. A scrawny, gnarled tree in the middle of the field of grass. Renjun paints it black and makes it leafless. It looks nice against the backdrop of a sky full of stars, a deviation but not enough of a contrast to distract from anything. Renjun would like to think that it's perfect, but he's not in a position to say so.

But he knows someone who is.

When he finishes the image, Donghyuck has already cleaned his working area. All the colored pencils have been dumped back into the tub and Donghyuck has Renjun's sketchbook in his lap, waiting for him to finish his work. Donghyuck hands the sketchbook back to Renjun and Renjun extends the iPad towards Donghyuck. Donghyuck pauses and raises an eyebrow, but takes the iPad anyway.

"Tell me what you think," Renjun says, loading the image. It fills the iPad screen, laid out before Donghyuck in all of its glory. Hyuck's eyes widen considerably, amazement dawns on his face - and that's when Renjun becomes satisfied with the portrait.

"It's beautiful, Junnie, wow." That's all Donghyuck says, but Renjun can sense the sincerity of the compliment, the genuine awe Hyuck feels as he stares and stares and stares some more. If Renjun were a narcissist he'd think that Hyuck was absorbing every aspect of it, committing it to memory. Some part of him hopes so.

"Do you know why the tree is leafless?" Renjun decides to ask Hyuck after he's rendered speechless. Hyuck lets out a soft hum of acknowledgement, his gaze not straying from the iPad.

"So you don't have to worry about leaf colors," Renjun says jokingly (even though he's dead serious), and Hyuck bursts into laughter. He almost drops the iPad as he lets out a hearty guffaw, loud and joyful and so very golden. It rings in Renjun's ears, and Renjun concludes that Hyuck's laughter is his favorite sound.

The true stars twinkle high above them, reflected in the both iPad screen and Donghyuck's eyes. Donghyuck's eyes are sparkling, and Renjun briefly considers taking the iPad from Hyuck and coloring in the eye drawing straight away because Hyuck's eyes are holding so much wonder and it leaves Renjun dizzy, wanting to preserve the look of it forever. 

Renjun's read somewhere that the color indigo can also mean devotion. Indigo seems to be the most fitting color for tonight, Renjun decides, since he is terribly devoted to Donghyuck; to his tantalizing eyes, to his brilliant smile, to his caramel skin, to his silky hair, to his sweet voice, to his interesting thoughts and feelings, to all of him. Renjun would give Donghyuck the world on a silver platter if Hyuck asked. It doesn't matter if it was an impossible request, Renjun would find a way. For Donghyuck.

Renjun browses through his sketchbook while Hyuck is distracted, staring at the iPad screen again like he can't stop. He flips through it and stops at the last page used, where Hyuck's drawing of Renjun's backyard sits, cozy and familiar. A quarter of the tree leaves are a brownish green; Donghyuck must have tried to fix it. It looks a bit out of place, but the oddness of is sublime; it's almost like a secret only he knows. Renjun would put it in a shrine, if he could.

The color brown means to nurture, so Renjun decides to do so. He goes to the nearest supplies store the next day and grabs a pack of colored pencils with the names of the colors engraved on the side, ones he'd seen before but never bothered to buy because they didn't fit his assorted pencil aesthetic.

A pack with 48 pencils (watercolor colored pencils, the fancy ones) costs him more than he's willing to spend but it's alright since Donghyuck likes using colored pencils, and Renjun likes Donghyuck. It's a win-win situation, really, because he gets (1) new art supplies; and (2) the most beautiful smile from the most beautiful boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are three main types of color blindness: red-green, blue-yellow, and total (not being able to see color at all; it's very rare). In this au Hyuck has red-green color blindness, and one of its manifestations is confusing brown for green, which is something one of my friends (who is red-green color blind) does a lot.


	4. yellow

Renjun's world is drenched in pink nowadays. Even when Donghyuck isn't there, a rosy tint envelopes him wherever he goes and whatever he's doing. It's there when Jisung accidentally steps on Renjun's foot but Renjun doesn't make a move to hit him, though he does send a menacing glare Jisung's way. It's there when Chenle unintentionally knocks over his paints and spills some of it and Renjun merely sighs and cleans it up instead of scolding Chenle like he usually would. It's there when he tips the waiter larger than he would normally, when he tilts the umbrella to shield a stranger on a rainy day despite getting soaked himself, and when he smiles extra widely at cute babies he randomly sees. It lightens his mood and softens his temper. It makes Renjun vulnerable, but not in a negative way. Renjun becomes more open, his thoughts and feelings easier to read and understand. It encourages him to see things through different perspectives, to be more empathetic. It's a marvelous feeling and it makes his heart feel like it's floating, weightless. Unburdened.

Unlike what he's feeling at the moment.

Renjun had been drawing when his friends came over for lunch (uninvited, might he add). He'd managed to wrangle them all into the living room and away from the dining area where he had been working with the promise of pizza and of showing them his art when he was done, which meant that what he's working on has to be perfect since his friends believe in him and always compliment his works; it would be a pity to disappoint them.

Terrible timing though, because right now he's working on a portrait of the very same friends who had come over to a̶n̶n̶o̶y̶ visit him. Fantastic.

He's drawing all seven of the people currently in his house, himself included. It's a vision from his memory of them facing the wall, showing off the jackets they each personalized. The jackets took so much time and effort and the final products were something that were satisfying to see, something they could show off, something they were immensely proud of (though Renjun wouldn't be surprised if most of them didn't know where the jackets were now). It was a fun bonding experience, but it was more than that to Renjun: it was a chance to share what he was passionate about with his friends. He had exposed an important part of himself to them, and he cherishes every moment of it.

Renjun's working on the space-themed details of Mark's jacket (Renjun remembers wanting to rant about how he was the one who deserves the NASA logo at the back of his jacket instead of Mark considering his love for the skies but he figured that it didn't really matter in the long run, and he can always make another one anyway) when he senses someone peeking over his shoulder. He knows that it's Hyuck without having to turn around to confirm because the pink aura encasing Renjun glows glimmers. Renjun feels tingly all over, and

That, and Donghyuck breathing down the back of his neck is very hard to _not_ notice.

Renjun frowns slightly. At any other time he would welcome Hyuck and whatever shenanigans he has planned but he needs this to be flawless. His friends don't call him "the one with the golden hands" for nothing.

He puts his pencil down and huffs loudly. "You're distracting me, Hyuck."

"Oh, sorry." Donghyuck plops down next on the chair beside Renjun and Renjun lets out a deep sigh. Great, now it's even _more_ distracting.

"Donghyuck, please just go back to the living room. Here, take my wallet, pay the pizza guy when he gets here." Renjun takes out his wallet from his back pocket and slides it over to Donghyuck. "Do you want my iPad? It's in my room, in the top drawer of the bedside table, go get it. Shoo."

Donghyuck pouts, and damn him because it's one of Renjun's biggest weaknesses. Has he been so obvious that Donghyuck now utilizes it at every opportunity or is it something that he's always done to manipulate people to do his whim (albeit unconsciously)?

"Please let me stay, I'll be quiet, I promise!" Donghyuck places his chin on Renjun's shoulder and looks at him with big doe eyes, and Renjun feels his will to make him go away shrivel up. Donghyuck looks extra adorable, and with the pretty pink cloud hanging over them Renjun can't bear to refuse him. He lets out a heavy sigh and uses his pointer finger to push Hyuck's head away from his shoulder, but he doesn't take any further action to make him leave and Donghyuck takes that as a victory, dragging his chair closer to Renjun.

"Ooooh, that looks wonderful!" Donghyuck exclaims when he leans forward to get a good look at Renjun's current project, and Renjun sighs again. "Didn't you say you'd be quiet?"

"Starting now." Donghyuck zips his lips, turns his fingers at the corner and throws away an imaginary key, and Renjun sees flashes of bright pink. He is so, so fond of this dork.

They sit in silence. Donghyuck busies himself with his phone and Renjun continues to squeeze himself dry. He reviews everything he's ever done and learned, he flicks through all the possible styles and directions this can go. He racks his brain for a way to make his drawing less plain, to make it stand out, to make it memorable.

There's an image he's painstakingly trying to bring to life, an idea he wants to immortalize. He wants it to awaken and to shock others into waking up as well - though a good shock would be preferable, not shock because it's disappointing and doesn't live up to people's standards.

He immerses himself in his thoughts and in his art, and he forgets he has company until said company cuddles into his side. Donghyuck puts his chin back on Renjun's shoulder and he wraps both of his arms around Renjun's waist, pulling them closer together. "Take it easy Junnie, everything you make is amazing."

"Jisung said my Moomins are uninteresting."

"Because you draw them so often! But everything else is amazing."

"This has to be phenomenal though. Impressive. Extravagant. Worthy of the Mark Lee stamp of approval."

"Ew, Mark is your standard of perfection?"

Renjun pinches Hyuck's arm. "Leave if you're not gonna be helpful."

"I'm helping, I'm helping! It looks pretty just like this though."

"It needs _more_."

Donghyuck hums softly. "I remember you mentioning that sometimes simplicity is the best way to go. It looks great just like this Junnie, don't you think so?"

Renjun takes a page out of Donghyuck's book and he pushes his lips together in a pout. "Yes, but this has to be absolutely incredibly perfect, not just great."

Donghyuck rolls his eyes as he detaches himself from Renjun (Renjun laments it for a while, until his eyes drift back to the paper and he decides there are much bigger things to lament). "It _already_ is absolutely spectacularly show-stopping, you know that's what I meant."

"It needs something else, something _more_."

"Well then," Donghyuck leans back in his chair. "Why don't you add color?"

Renjun's attention shifts from the paper in front of him to Donghyuck leaning back precariously on his chair. Hyuck leans back a little too far and his eyes widen as both he and Renjun rush to steady the chair. Renjun slaps Donghyuck's arm, almost hard enough to push him to the ground, but all Donghyuck does is smile at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners. This scene is familiar, Renjun thinks.

Pink, pink, pink everywhere. In the air, on their cheeks, on Donghyuck's lips. He stares at them longer than what could be considered friendly, and Donghyuck tilts his head slightly, his hair flopping to one side. He smiles at Renjun, brilliant and blinding. It's beautiful. _He's beautiful_.

They're smiling at each other like complete idiots, but Renjun doesn't feel embarrassed; he feels warm. Tender. He feels like he's in love.

There's a loud ruckus in the living room that snaps them out of their reverie but the atmosphere afterwards isn't awkward. Donghyuck goes back to his phone and Renjun bows his head to work on the portrait some more. A serene ivory ambience wraps around them both, taking them into its bosom and providing comfort and tranquility. It does wonders for Renjun's focus and expressiveness. His hand guides the pencil across the paper, and he shuts off his mind and all the overthinking it's been doing and just lets his imagination roam free.

Renjun doesn't know how much time passes but by the time Chenle walks in to take some money out of Renjun's wallet for the pizza, Renjun has already finished. It's merely a sketch, but it's good and clean and it makes Renjun feel happy just by looking at it, so he supposes that's enough. He and Hyuck stand and walk towards where the food and their friends are slowly, as if holding something delicate, not wanting to break the spell. The magic shatters as Jeno pulls Hyuck down onto the sofa and shows him something that makes Hyuck laugh boisterously but Renjun doesn't mind, not when Donghyuck is shining, bright yellow all around him. Joy looks alluring on everyone, but on Donghyuck it's ravishing.

***

When Renjun waltzes back into the dining room to continue his artwork, he sees Donghyuck standing over the table and sipping on his soda, staring at Renjun's portrait like he's trying to engrave every aspect of it in his memory. Renjun becomes bashful - not because he's ashamed of it, but because the way Donghyuck is looking at it feels intimate, in a way. Donghyuck doesn't even notice Renjun approach him, too engrossed in Renjun's drawing.

"Do you want to color it in?"

Donghyuck turns around quickly and Renjun steps back to avoid getting sloshed with the drink in Hyuck's hand. Thankfully it doesn't spill, and Donghyuck puts it down on the farthest end of the table, away from Renjun's work.

Hyuck looks at Renjun shyly, a bit mortified at being caught. He doesn't answer Renjun's question verbally; instead, he presses his lips together tightly and shakes his head slightly, a subtle no. His fidgeting hands and the eyes roaming Renjun's drawing say otherwise, though.

"I'll get the colored pencils for you." Renjun starts moving towards his room but he's stopped by Donghyuck tugging on his sleeve. "I don't want," Hyuck mumbles, eyes downcast.

"Do you want to use crayons instead? Or oil pastels? The paper isn't thick enough to support paint."

Donghyuck removes his hand from Renjun's sleeve, and Hyuck feels gray. The aura around him is subdued, dull, a complete opposite from earlier. Was something wrong with Renjun's work?

Renjun lets out a nervous chuckle. "Does it look ugly or something?"

Hyuck's eyes widen comically, almost like they're about to pop out of his eye sockets. "No, never! Of course not! Everything you make is marvelous!"

Renjun snickers, but he smirks to himself. Compliments are always nice to hear, and it washes Renjun with a proud shade of purple. Regal, confident.

An opposite to the dispirited gray over Donghyuck at the moment. The color is lifeless, the sparkly sheen of silver nowhere in sight.

"I'll mess it up." Hyuck's voice comes out small, simultaneously wanting and not wanting Renjun to hear. Renjun is taken aback for a moment before he remembers that fateful night under the stars, with the heavens reflected in both his sketchbook and in Donghyuck's eyes.

_"I get confused with colors sometimes."_

"No, you won't." Renjun takes Donghyuck's hand and swings it around in an effort to make him feel better.

"Yes, I will! There's a lot of colors and that's a lot of chances to accidentally color in Chenle's hair green."

"Chenle's hair _is_ green."

Hyuck pauses, startled. "It is?"

"You're kidding. You didn't know?"

Donghyuck groans. "See, this is why this is a very bad idea! I'll ruin your mini mural thingy by drowning it in muted colors or something."

Renjun rolls his eyes. "You don't have this problem when you're coloring in your other stuff."

"That's because _I'm_ the one who made it! This is _your_ work, it's special." Donghyuck is agitated, and seeing Donghyuck upset upsets Renjun as well.

Renjun frowns at him. "Your works are special too. They're special to me."

That eases the sullen look on Donghyuck's face. There's still a mousy aura around him, but the gray has a bluish tint to it now, a bit hesitant but not as timid as before. Renjun exhales, the mind he'd managed to mute earlier running a mile a minute now, trying to find some sort of way to appease both himself and Donghyuck.

"Look, my dad has a Xerox machine in his home office. Why don't we photocopy this," Renjun tears the portrait from his sketchbook and Donghyuck cringes at the sound, "so that you'll have lots of backup in case you don't like what you put out? I'll even sort the colored pencils out for you beforehand if you like. But you have to color in something for me as well, the way you would usually do it. No holding back. Turn me into an Oompa Loompa if you like."

Hyuck bites his lip, and wow, Renjun is doing a lot of staring today. He extends the sheet to Donghyuck, and Hyuck takes it with both a dramatic sigh and a crooked smile. "You're really dead set on having me color this thing in, huh."

"Of course. You're my favorite, after all."

"Don't let Chenle hear you." Donghyuck's back to yellow now, a dimmer shade of yellow than usual but it's progress. "Should we print copies for the others too? So we can each make our own versions?"

Renjun and Donghyuck walk out of dining area and into Renjun's father's office. "Maybe next time."

"Why not now?" Hyuck mumbles as he tries to figure out how to turn the machine on. Renjun doesn't respond, but he does help start the machine and he teaches Hyuck how to use it. Hyuck forgets Renjun didn't give him an answer, and if Hyuck asked again Renjun still wouldn't be able to give him one. All Renjun knows is that he doesn't want anyone else barging into this moment, into his little bubble of placidness with only him and Donghyuck inside. He's always open to sharing experiences with all of his friends, but for now he wants to keep the way Hyuck smiles as he hands him a bundle of colored pencils, the way Hyuck sticks out his tongue in concentration, and the way Hyuck emanates a victorious orange glow when he finishes coloring in the two copies Renjun had asked him to all to himself.

 

 

 

If you had to match colors to one's personality, Donghyuck would be yellow. Warm, bright, and positive, the color of happiness. Renjun's blue vibes well with Donghyuck's yellow, and together they form a bustling green, a mixture of light and coolness, of cheer and restraint. An energetic harmony filled with the promise of renewal and growth. An ambition to constantly improve along with the aim of providing a feeling of safety and protection to those around them. A new beginning.

Donghyuck's kind of yellow grabs attention, obvious and vibrant. It holds a sort of childlike wonder to it, with a steadfast sense of honor and loyalty. When they're together, Renjun feels all tension leave him and all his worries subside. Donghyuck's fire beats down on him like the sun does, and it illuminates all the things Renjun finds dark. Sometimes it's overwhelming, but most of the time it's very welcome. Everything feels lighter and brighter and so much better with Donghyuck around.

The photocopy of the picture, the one that Donghyuck had insisted on getting right, the one that looks like an artsy reminiscence, picture perfect, hangs proudly in the living room, framed and hung in the middle of the most noticeable part of the wall. It leaves everyone who sees it in awe but Renjun's friends are the ones who treasure it the most, and they each ask for a colored photocopy courtesy of the well-used xerox machine. Jaemin whines about not being the one Renjun asked to color the drawing in, "considering that I am the one with the best art skills in this group next to Renjun". (Jeno smacks Jaemin upside the head because the last time he'd made any sort of artwork was back in grade school, and Jeno's works are much prettier than Jaemin's.)

The original picture he's made Hyuck color in, the one that was just for him and Hyuck, the one with an explosion of colors, the one containing Donghyuck's heart and soul and Donghyuck's point of view, is inside a drawer in Renjun's bedside table, for only him to see. He intends on buying a frame for it soon so he can place it on the wall opposite his bed at eye-level so it will be the first thing he sees when he wakes up. When he says this to Hyuck, Hyuck's cheeks turn a lovely shade of rose pink and Hyuck shoves him off his chair "for being annoying".

As he looks at Hyuck curled up on a lawn chair in Renjun's backyard with his iPad in Hyuck's arms, his tongue stuck out just the slightest bit in the way it does when he's focused on something, with the summer sun providing too much warmth and with sweat dripping down Hyuck's forehead, with pink in the air and on Hyuck's cheeks due to the heat, he thinks that yes, maybe he is a bit annoying, but the way Donghyuck asks him to come closer so Hyuck can show him what he's working on and ask for Renjun's opinion on it makes Renjun think that he's the good kind of annoying, the "I pester you because I love you" kind of annoying. He's sure Donghyuck doesn't mind a jab or two, and neither of them are really going to stop annoying the other. Renjun wouldn't, not when it keeps Hyuck's attention on him.

Renjun didn't have a favorite color before (he liked all the colors equally, from dark to pastel to black to white), but he certainly has one now.

Colors whirl around Renjun's head, but Donghyuck's shade of yellow is his favorite one of all.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap for now! Thank you to everyone who went through this hot mess of flowery words and semi-plotless fluff, this was supposed to be a really long oneshot but when I wrote the first part I really liked how it turned out and was like, "post? Post." 
> 
> My friend recommended a song that helped me find the motivation to get back to this after two months of writer's block, it's Color by Todrick Hall & Jay Johnson! Bless you ao3 user dayseyes  
> (Also yes I forced myself to actually finish this fic by looping Heejin's ViViD, what about it)
> 
> I do intend to make a sequel with a definite ending and I already have it all planned out but that probably won't be coming out anytime soon lmao, hopefully I get it done before the year ends though! Again, thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a good day!
> 
> twt: [@whatsavotingacc](https://twitter.com/whatsavotingacc?s=09)


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